We have the book study this week and am wondering if any of you out there have anything to add or say about it, have typed it up and here it is:
Congregation book study Nov. 26, 07 Chpt 26 Para 12 – Chpt 27 Para 6
Behold the Ark of His Covenant!
12 Jehovah rules! Through his Messianic Kingdom, he is exercising his sovereignty toward mankind in a marvelous way. This is confirmed by what John sees next: “And the temple sanctuary of God that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple sanctuary. And there occurred lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and a great hail.” (Rev. 11: 19) This is the only mention in Revelation of the ark of God’s covenant. The Ark of God’s covenant. The Ark had been the visible symbol of Jehovah’s presence with his people Israel. In the tabernacle, and later in the temple built by Solomon, it was kept in the Most Holy. But when Israel went into captivity in Babylon in 607 B.C.E., Jerusalem was desolated and the Ark of the Covenant disappeared. That was when representatives of the house of David ceased “to sit upon Jehovah’s throne as king.”
Q (a) According to Revelation 11:19, what does John see in heaven? (b) Of what had the Ark of the Covenant been a symbol, and what happened to it after Israel went into captivity to Babylon?
13 Now, after more than 2600 years, the Ark is seen once more but in John’s vision this Ark is not an earthly temple. It appears in the heavenly sanctuary of God. Once again, Jehovah rules by means of a king in the royal line of David. This time, however, the King, Christ Jesus is enthroned in heavenly Jerusalem—the exalted vantage point from which he executes Jehovah’s Judgments. (Hebrews 12:22). The following chapters of Revelation will unveil these to us.
Q What is denoted by the fact that the ark of God’s covenant is seen in the heavenly sanctuary of God?
14 In ancient earthly Jerusalem, the Ark was not seen by the Israelites in general, nor even by the priests serving in the temple for it was within the Most Holy that was screened off from the Holy Place by a curtain (Numbers 4:20; Hebrews 9: 2, 3) Only the high priest got to see it when he entered the Most Holy on the annual Day of Atonement. Nevertheless, when the temple sanctuary in the heavens is opened, the symbolic ark is visible not only to Jehovah’s High Priest, Jesus Christ, but also to his under priests, the 144,000, including John.
15 Those first ones who have been resurrected to heaven see this symbolic ark at close range, for they have taken their place as part of the 24 elders around Jehovah’s throne. And the John class on earth have been enlightened by Jehovah’s spirit to discern His presence in His spiritual temple. There have also been signs to alert mankind in general to this wonderful development. John’s vision speaks of lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and hail. (Compare Revelation 8:5) Who do these symbolize?
Q 14, 15 (a) in ancient Jerusalem, who only got to see the Ark of the Covenant, and why? (b) In the heavenly temple sanctuary of God, who get to see the ark of his covenant?
16 Since 1914 there has been a tremendous upheaval in the realm of religion. Happily though, this “earthquake” has been accompanied by dedicated voices giving a clear message about God’s established Kingdom. Thunderous ‘storm warnings’ from the Bible have been sounded. Like lightning, flashes of insight as to God’s prophetic Word have been seen and publicized. A hard pounding “hail” of divine judgments has been unleashed against Christendom and false religion in general. All of this should have caught people’s attention. Sadly, though, the majority—like the people of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time—have failed to discern the fulfillment of these Revelation signs. –Luke 19: 41-44.
Q How have there been lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and a great hail?
17 The seven angels continue to sound their trumpets, signaling historic events here on earth. Dedicated Christians have a great responsibility to continue proclaiming these announcements to the world. How joyfully they are fulfilling that commission! This is indicated in that during the 20 years from 1986 to 2005, they almost doubled the hours spent yearly in the ministry—from 680,837,042 to 1,278,235,504. Truly, “the sacred secret of God according to the good news” is being made known “to the extremities of the inhabited earth.” Revelation 10:7; Romans 10:18.
18 Other visions now await us as God’s Kingdom purposes continue to be unveiled.
Q 17, 18 (a) The sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels has brought what responsibility to dedicated Christians. (b) How are Christians fulfilling their commission?
Chpt. 27
1 The sacred secret of God has been unlocked (Revelation 10:7) Jehovah’s Kingdom by his Messiah is now a dynamic reality. It rules! Its presence spells doom for Satan and his seed and glorious victory fo9r the seed of God’s heavenly organization. The seventh angel has not finished blowing on his trumpet however, for he has much more to reveal to us about the third woe. (Revelation 11:14) The signs described in Revelation Chapters 12 to 14 will help us to broaden our appreciation of all that is involved in that woe and in bringing God’s sacred secret to a finish.
Q How ill an understanding of the signs described in Revelation chapters 12 to 14 help us?
2 John now sees a great sign—one of outstanding interest for God’s people. It introduces a thrilling prophetic vision, the meaning of which was first published in March 1, 1925 issue of The Watch Tower in an article entitled “Birth of the Nation” and then again in 1926 in the book Deliverance. This brilliant flash of bible understanding became a historic marker in the advance of Jehovah’s work. So let John describe the drama as it starts to unfold. “And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her pains and in her agony to give birth.” –Revelation 12: 1, 2.
Q 2, (a) What great sign does John see? (b) When was the meaning of the great sign revealed?
3 For the first time, John beholds a woman in heaven. She is, of course, not a literal woman. Rather, she is a sign, or a symbol. (Revelation 1:1) What does she symbolize? In the inspired prophecies, women at times represent organizations “married” to outstanding personalities. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel was spoken of as a wife of Jehovah God. (Jeremiah 3:14) In the Greek Scriptures, the congregation of anointed Christians is spoken of as Christ’s bride. (Revelation 21: 9-14) The woman John here sees is also married to someone, and she is about to give birth. Who is her husband? Well, later her child is “caught away to God and to his throne.” (Revelation 12:5) Jehovah thus claims the child as his own. Therefore, the woman that John sees must be Jehovah’s symbolic wife.
Q, 3 What is the identity of the woman seen in heaven?
4 About eight centuries earlier, Jehovah had addressed this symbolic wife saying “All your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah.” (Isaiah 54: 5, 13) Jesus quoted this prophecy and showed that these sons were his faithful followers, who later formed the congregation of anointed Christians. (John 6: 44, 45) So members of this congregation, spoken of as God’s sons, are also children of God’s symbolic wife. (Romans 8:14) The apostle Paul adds the final piece of information when he says “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Galatians 4:26) The “woman” seen by John, then, is the Jerusalem above.
Q 4 Who are the sons of God’s symbolic wife, and what does the apostle Paul call the woman seen by John?
5 Exactly what, though, is Jerusalem above? Since Paul spoke of her as “above,” and John sees her in heaven, she is clearly not an earthly city; neither is she the same as “New Jerusalem,” since that organization is the bride of Christ, not Jehovah’s wife. (Revelation 21:2) Notice that she is crowned with 12 stars. The number 12 is associated with completeness in an organizational setting.” Hence, these 12 stars seem to indicate that she is an organizational arrangement in heaven, just as ancient Jerusalem was on earth. Jerusalem above, is Jehovah’s universal organization of spirit creatures that acts as his wife, both in serving him and in producing offspring.
Q 5 Since Jehovah’s symbolic wife is crowned with 12 stars, what in reality is the Jerusalem above?
6 John sees this woman as being robed with the sun and having the moon beneath her feet. When we add her crown of stars, she is completely surrounded by heavenly lights. God’s favor shines upon her day and night. What a fitting symbol of Jehovah’s magnificent heavenly organization! She is also pregnant, enduring labor pains. Her cries for diving help show that her time has come to give birth. In the Bible, labor pains often symbolize the hard work needed to produce an important result. (Compare Psalm 90:2; Proverbs 25:25; Isaiah 66: 7, 8) No doubt labor pains of this kind were experienced as Jehovah’s heavenly organization prepared for this historic birth.
Q 6 (a) What is indicated by the fact that the woman seen by John is robed with the sun, has the moon beneath her feet, and has a crown of stars? (b) What is symbolized by the labor pains of the pregnant woman?
Your commnets would be greatly appreciated.